1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to toy vehicles, including normally operated "push" type toys and motorized toys, and, more particularly, to toy vehicles having an adjustable suspension system which incorporates corrugated snap tubing to permit selected, sequential adjustment of vehicle heights.
2. Prior Art Statement
The toy industry generates a voluminous array of toy vehicles annually, including toy motorcycles, cars, trucks, racing vehicles, three wheelers, tanks, pick-ups, military and space vehicles, construction vehicles and the like. The trend has been to "imitate" real vehicles or to create futuristic toys which capture the imagination. Most recently, toy vehicles have imitated extra large wheel-four wheel drive vehicles and other varied vehicles, including "jacked-up" pick-up trucks, all-terrain four wheelers, etc.
The present invention is directed basically to toy vehicles which can be "jacked up" to selected raised levels and then converted back to normal using an adjustable suspension system. There is no prior art known to the inventors which teaches or renders obvious the present invention toys which are capable of being rear end jacked up, front end jacked up, or both, at selected heights, and then "transformed" back into street vehicles using an adjustable suspension system which incorporates corrugated snap tubes to effect the adjustments.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,409,224 issued to H. J. Harp et al. on Nov. 5, 1968 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,908,704 issued to I. T. Clement et al. on Sept. 30, 1975 are exemplary of prior art patents which teach the basic corregated snap tube technology and are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties (corrugated snap tube is used to mean plastic tubing which is extendable and contractible as well as capable of being bent or angled by virtue of corrugations of the type set forth in these two cited prior art references).